


lipstick arithmetic

by imposterhuman



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt Natasha Romanov, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Pepper Potts, Iron Man 2, Morning After, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, No one is having a good time, One Night Stands, Pepper Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22014409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imposterhuman/pseuds/imposterhuman
Summary: Natasha gathered her clothes quietly off of Pepper’s floor, careful not to wake the other woman. She wasn’t a hundred percent sure how they’d ended up so scattered, but it was making for an interesting recreation of their night as she hunted down her missing skirt. Grabbing it off of the lampshade, of all places, Natasha dressed quickly, almost clinically.The sooner she left, the better.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	lipstick arithmetic

**Author's Note:**

> finally returning to prompt fills, sorry for the wait! this ones for an anon who wanted angsty peppernat
> 
> enjoy!

Natasha gathered her clothes quietly off of Pepper’s floor, careful not to wake the other woman. She wasn’t a hundred percent sure how they’d ended up so scattered, but it was making for an interesting recreation of their night as she hunted down her missing skirt. Grabbing it off of the lampshade, of all places, Natasha dressed quickly, almost clinically. 

The sooner she left, the better. 

Natasha was never supposed to sleep with Pepper. It hadn’t been part of her mission. She was actually supposed to sleep with  _ Stark _ , but she’d been hitting a wall on that front. And Pepper, sweet, smart Pepper, had caught her after one too many drinks at Stark’s party when her walls were just a hair too low. Pepper had touched her shoulder, Natasha had let her, and that had been that.

The rest of the night was a blur of smiles and pleasure, and Natasha couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually slept with someone because she wanted to, because she liked the curve of their grin and the twinkle of their eyes, and not because it was her mission. It was a disconcerting feeling, and Natasha couldn’t stop herself from staring at Pepper’s sleeping form, peaceful under rumpled sheets. 

Pepper’s normally perfectly coiffed hair was in a messy braid over one shoulder, strands escaping and falling all over the pillows. Her face was serene in sleep and as beautiful as any painting. One of her arms stretched to where Natasha had lain, like she was reaching for Natasha. Like she wanted her.

Natasha forced herself to turn away, breath catching in her throat. She slipped into the bathroom, grabbing a wipe off of the counter to clear away the remains of yesterday’s makeup, leaving her pale and vulnerable without that layer of armor. Natasha fixed her hair, too, determined to not look like she was doing the walk of shame. 

Luckily, she was pretty good at that, and she looked mostly presentable within two minutes. There was nothing she could do about the wrinkles in her outfit, but she straightened it out as best she could. Pulling her lipstick out of her pocket, Natasha put on her usual red and tried to summon the confident guise she always wore. 

But she was still rattled, she knew, and the cause of it was sleeping ten feet away. In her distraction, her feet were less sure than usual, and they made noise against the floorboards.

Pepper stirred in bed, wiping a hand over her face. Sleepy blue eyes met Natasha’s green ones. Pepper didn’t sit up, but she patted the spot next to her.

“You should stay, Natalie,” she said softly, lips turned up in a sweet smile. She didn’t ask; women as powerful as Pepper Potts didn’t  _ ask _ for things, they demanded, but Natasha was trained well enough to hear the thread of uncertainty in her voice.

But Natasha also heard her name- her fake name- and it was like a knife to the chest (she would know). It was a reminder that none of this was real, that Pepper thought she had slept with a somewhat ditzy assistant from Legal, not the world’s deadliest assassin on a mission to save the life of her employer. Natasha had told a lot of lies in her life, and she didn’t feel bad about it. But this one? This one hurt. 

Pepper’s eyes were already fluttering shut, exhaustion written in the lines of her face. Part of Natasha ached to climb back into bed, to let Pepper hold her and to just  _ be  _ for a few moments. But the rest of her remembered that Pepper wasn’t her target; she was a distraction. And the Black Widow did not get tempted by distractions. 

Natasha didn’t speak as she let herself out, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. She didn’t look back, either. 

(When Pepper greeted her with a cordial  _ Miss Rushman _ later that day, Natasha pretended it didn’t sting. She’d always been good at pretending.)

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos make me smile :))
> 
> yell at me on tumblr [@imposter-human](https://imposter-human.tumblr.com/)


End file.
